Wall anchors and related wall mount systems

ABSTRACT

An anchor assembly for anchoring an object on a wall includes a first anchor component and second anchor component, each anchor component pivotable relative to the assembly and having a back side and a front side, and each anchor component having at least one curved wall penetrating retainer extending therefrom. The anchor assembly has an install orientation in the wall in which the wall penetrating retainer of each anchor component is inserted within the wall for a jaw-type grip of the wall.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This application relates generally to wall anchors and related systems,methods and components.

BACKGROUND

Numerous products exist for mounting components onto a wall.Conventional nails and screws are not always convenient solutions andmay not provide sufficient support strength in the wall, particularly inthe case of drywall, or other friable wallboards, which are relativelyweak.

Anchors incorporating curved saber tooth shaped retainers are known fromU.S. Pat. Nos. 8,974,166 and 8,414,239. However, such anchors are stilldifficult for the typical homeowner to install and use properly becausea hammer is generally needed to complete the anchor installation. Theseanchors also generally have a large wall penetration that tends tocrumble and weaken the surrounding wall media adjacent the penetrationand leave a large hole that is not easily repaired. It is alsoimpractical to reposition these types of anchors after initial insertionin locations proximate the original hole for the purpose of making minorposition adjustments. Moreover traditional anchors with simple hooks arenot suited to mount a wide variety of objects in a secure manner.

It would be desirable to provide an anchor device and relatedinstallation method that facilitates ease of installation, but at thesame time results in an anchor with a high support strength and lessdamage to the wallboard, leaving relatively small holes upon anchorremoval and therefore also permitting minor position adjustments ifneeded. To provide these advantages in connection with an anchor thatinstalls without reference to stud or other supporting structurelocation and/or without concern for wires or pipes behind the wall,would also be beneficial. In addition, providing an anchor assembly thatprovides a mounting system with enhanced resistance to loadingperpendicular to the wall surface in order to secure numerous types ofsecondary components such as a shelf, towelbar, coat rack or similardevices, all of which generate cantilever loading on the anchor, wouldbe desirable.

SUMMARY

In one aspect, an anchor assembly for hanging an object on a wallincludes a first anchor component including a first pivot end and afirst retainer end opposite the first retainer end, with at least onewall penetrating retainer extends from the first pivot end and includesa wall penetrating extent that protrudes rearwardly and has a curvedconfiguration. A second anchor component includes a second pivot end anda second retainer end opposite the second retainer end, the secondretainer end pivotably connected to the first retainer end, to enablepivoting movement of both the first anchor component and the secondanchor component between respective forward positions and respectiveinstall positions, where at least one wall penetrating retainer extendsfrom the second retainer end and includes a wall penetrating extent thatprotrudes rearwardly and has a curved configuration. When the firstanchor component is in its install position and the second anchorcomponent is in its install position, the curved configuration of thewall penetrating extent of the second anchor component opposes thecurved configuration of the wall penetrating extent of the first anchorcomponent to form a jaw-type arrangement.

In another aspect, an anchor assembly for anchoring an object on a wallincludes a first anchor component and second anchor component, eachanchor component pivotable relative to the assembly and having a backside and a front side, and each anchor component having at least onecurved wall penetrating retainer extending therefrom. The anchorassembly has an install orientation in the wall in which the wallpenetrating retainer of each anchor component is inserted within thewall, wherein in the install orientation each retainer has a respectiveangle of attack that is less than eighty degrees.

In another aspect, an anchor assembly for anchoring an object on a wallincludes a base member including a wall facing side, an outer side, afirst lateral side extending from the wall facing side to the outerside, a second lateral side extending from the wall facing side to theouter side, and first and second ends. The wall facing side includes abase surface for seating against the wall, the outer side includes afirst anchor support surface and a second anchor support surface,wherein the first anchor support surface and the base surface arenonparallel, wherein the second anchor support surface and base surfaceare nonparallel. A first anchor component is positioned on the basemember and having a pivot end and a retainer end, and a second anchorcomponent is positioned on the base member and having a pivot end and aretainer end.

In another aspect, an anchor assembly for anchoring an elongatecomponent to a wall includes a first anchor component pivotablyassociated with the anchor assembly, the first anchor component having apivot end and a retainer end, at least one curved wall penetratingretainer extending from the retainer end. A second anchor componentpivotably associated with the anchor assembly, the second anchorcomponent having a pivot end and a retainer end, at least one curvedwall penetrating retainer extending from the retainer end. A tubularshaped passage has an open rear side enabling the passage to be placedover a tubular member.

The details of one or more embodiments are set forth in the accompanyingdrawings and the description below. Other features, objects, andadvantages will be apparent from the description and drawings, and fromthe claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIGS. 1-6 show one embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 7-8 show one embodiment of a mount bracket attachable to theanchor assembly of FIG. 1 ;

FIGS. 9-11 show a mount bracket of FIG. 7 in position for downwardengagement with the anchor assembly of FIG. 1 , where FIG. 11 is across-section taken along line 11-11 of FIG. 10 ;

FIGS. 12-14 show one embodiment of a shelf unit including the mountbracket of FIG. 7 ;

FIGS. 15-16 show one embodiment of a template system;

FIGS. 17-18 show another embodiment of a mount bracket attachable to theanchor assembly of FIG. 1 ;

FIG. 19 shows one embodiment of a hook rail including the mount bracketof FIG. 17 ;

FIGS. 20-25 show another embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 26-27 show one embodiment of a shelf unit with mount brackets forengaging the anchor assembly of FIG. 20 ;

FIGS. 28-30 show the shelf unit of FIG. 26 attached to the anchorassembly of FIG. 20 ;

FIGS. 31-32 show the mount bracket of the shelf unit of FIG. 26 ;

FIGS. 33-39 show another embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 40-42 show another embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 43-47 show another embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 48-49 show another embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 50A-50B show another embodiment of anchor assembly;

FIG. 51 shows a partial view of another anchor assembly with shelf unit;

FIGS. 52-53 show another embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 54A-54E show another embodiment of an anchor assembly;

FIGS. 55A-55D schematically depict various anchor assembly arrangementswith retainers having differing angles of attack; and

FIGS. 56A-56B show another embodiment of an anchor assembly.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

In the drawings and description of various anchor embodiments below, theterm wallboard is generally used to refer to the most common wallboardsuch as drywall, but it is recognized that the anchor components couldbe suitable for any other friable wallboard material, such as densecorks or foams or other materials that can crumble. Accordingly, theterm wallboard as used herein is intended to broadly encompass, forexample, both typical drywall (aka plasterboard and gypsum board) andsuch other friable wallboard materials.

Referring to FIGS. 1-6 , an anchor assembly 700 is shown. The anchorassembly 700 includes a pair of anchor components 702 and 704 pivotablyengaged with each other so that anchor components can move between annon-anchoring orientation or forward position (e.g., FIGS. 1-3 ) and ananchoring orientation or install position (e.g., FIGS. 5 and 6 ). Anchorcomponent 702 includes a base 706 having front, back, top, bottom, innerand outer sides, and anchor component 704 includes a base 708 havingfront, back, top, bottom, inner and outer sides. In the illustratedconfiguration it is contemplated that the anchor assembly 700 will beinstalled into a wall 30 with an elongate axis 710 of the assemblysubstantially horizontal, and therefore the views of FIGS. 3-5 representtop plan views, the view of FIG. 6 is a side elevation and the back orrearward side of each anchor component is considered the wall facingside. The inner sides of the two anchor components 702 and 704 overlapto enable pivoting connection of the two components via a hinge pin orpivot pin 748. Thus, the inner sides may also be referred to as thepivot ends of the anchor components.

In the illustrated embodiment, the base of each anchor componentincludes a primary plate element 712, 714 (e.g., generally rectangularin shape) and upper 716, 718 and lower 720, 722 plate elements (e.g.,generally triangular in shape) extending from the primary plate elementtoward the wall facing side of anchor assembly. The upper and lowerplate elements may also be referred to as lateral plate elements as theylie in planes that are generally lateral or horizontal. It is recognizedthat different configurations for the base portions are possible as willbe evident from other embodiments described below. One or more wallpenetrating retainers 724 (in the illustrated case a pair of spacedapart upper and lower retainers) extend from the base 706, each retainerhaving a corresponding wall penetrating extent 726 with a primarilycurved configuration, and one or more wall penetrating retainers 728 (inthe illustrated case a pair of spaced apart upper and lower retainers)extend from the base 708, each retainer having a corresponding wallpenetrating extent 730 with a primarily curved configuration. The wallpenetrating retainers 724 and 728 are located toward the outer sides ofthe respective anchor component bases 706 and 708. Thus, the outer sidesmay also be referred to as the retainer ends of the anchor components.

The wall penetrating retainers 724, 728 have a primarily curvedconfiguration, with the wall penetrating extents having an arcuateconfiguration. The radius of curvature (e.g., R724 and R728) defined bythe arcuate extents of the wall penetrating retainers have a centerpoint that is proximate to the axial pivot point line or axis 732 ofeach anchor component, which is centered on the hinge pin 748. In thisregard, in the illustrated embodiment each anchor component is pivotallyconnected to the hinge pin 748 via end portions of a hinge pin 748 thatpass through aligned pin openings in the upper 716, 718 and lower 720,722 plate elements, and thus the centers of the radii of curvature ofthe wall penetrating retainers are co-linear. This geometry reduces theenergy and force required to insert each set of retainers, reducesdamage to the wall and results in small wall surface perforations whenthe anchor is removed.

In the illustrated embodiment, each curved wall penetrating retainer 724extends from a respective one of the plate elements 716, 720, and eachwall penetrating retainer 728 extends from a respective one of the plateelements 718, 720. The anchor components may thus be formed from a metalplate material, and be unitary or monolithic in construction. However,other variations are possible. The retainer ends of the upper plateelements 716, 718 partially overlap and the retainer ends of the lowerplate elements 720, 722 partially overlap to achieve the hinge pinconnection.

In the illustrated embodiment each anchor component is formed ofmonolithic metal plate construction in which a flat metal plate is cutto a certain flat shape and then bent into the final shape of thecomponent (e.g., by progressive die stamping). However, it is recognizedthat other forms of anchor components are possible in connection withthe anchor assemblies.

For the purpose of wall installation, while the anchor components 702,704 are in their non-anchoring orientations (also seen as forwardpositions) the assembly is held against the surface of the wall (perFIG. 3 ) and then the retainer end of one anchor component (e.g., 702 inFIGS. 3 and 4 ) is pressed toward the wall (per arrow 734) to rotate theretainers (e.g., 724) into the wall 30. The center portion of the anchorassembly may be held in one hand to maintain assembly position while theother hand is used to move the one anchor component into the wall. Next,the retainer end of the other anchor component (e.g., 704 in FIGS. 4 and5 ) is pressed toward the wall (per arrow 736) to rotate the retainers728 into the wall 30. Thus, the two anchor components may be pressedtoward the wall in a staged operation (e.g., one at a time). This twostage method of retainer penetration results in an anchor assembly witha suitable number of retainers to hold larger weights without requiringexcessive force to move the retainers into the wall. The retainer end ofanchor component 704 has a smaller vertical dimension that fits withinthe retainer end of anchor component 702, to enable overlap of the upperand lower plate elements and thus the upper plate elements 716, 718slide against each other or move in close proximity to each other as theanchor components are pivoted during installation. Likewise, the lowerplate elements 720, 722 slide against each other or move in closeproximity to each other.

The final install position results in a jaw-type gripping action of theanchor assembly into the wall per FIG. 5 . The gripping action supportshigh hanging loads and loads with a moment component, such as a shelfloads, towel bars, coatracks etc. that can be supported on the anchorassembly. In the final install position, the rear edges of the upper716, 718 and lower 720, 722 plate elements abut against the surface ofthe wall, or install template described below, to provide additionalstability of the anchor assembly in the wall. Thus, these edges define awall mount plane or mount surface plane of the assembly when the anchorassembly is in the anchoring orientation. Notably, the inner ends of theplate elements are formed with arcuate portions with a radius ofcurvature (e.g., R716) that is centered on the axis 732), which allowsthe plate elements to readily slide relative to the wall or other mountsurface during anchor component installation.

The retainers of the illustrated embodiment have a primarily rectangularcross-section for cross-sections taken normal to a curved lengthwiseaxis of the retainer. In some implementations where the rectangularcross-section is non-square, a longer dimension of the cross-section ofall retainers 724 and 728 may all run in similar orientations (e.g., inthis case all generally parallel to the lengthwise axis 710). In otherimplementations the orientation of the longer dimension may vary asbetween retainers on the same anchor or as between retainers on oneanchor and retainers on the other anchor.

The retainer end of each anchor component includes a side tab 740, 742that extends from the primary plate element 712, 714 in a forwarddirection. The side tabs 740, 742 may thus be oriented substantiallyparallel to the wall surface upon final install (per FIG. 5 ), while theprimary plate elements 712, 714 are angled relative to the wall surfaceat a non-zero angle (e.g., per angle α714).

In addition to the primary plate element 712, strap member 744 extendsbetween upper plate element 716 and lower plate element 720, and inaddition to the primary plate element 714, strap member 746 extendsbetween upper plate element 718 and lower plate element 722, in bothcases at the front or forward side of the respective anchor component.In both cases the strap member is spaced from the primary plate elementtoward the pivot end of the anchor component. Each strap member 744, 746supports a respective mount wing 750, 752 that extends therefrom. Eachmount wing 750, 752 extends slightly forward of the strap member towhich it connected and also toward retainer end of the anchor componentto which it is connected. As best seen in FIGS. 3 and 6 with referenceto mount wing 752, each mount wing includes a major portion 754 and aminor portion 756 which bends slightly forward of the major portion. Theback side of major portion 754 defines a mount engagement surface lyingin a plane 758 and the back side of minor portion 756 defines a mountentry surface. Upon installation of the anchor assembly, with the mountengagement surface of major portion 754 angles away from the wallsurface when moving upward, which is represented by an angle φ1 betweenthe plane 758 and the axis 732, which angle may be in the range of about1 degree to about 15 degrees, such as about 5 to 10 degrees, thoughother variations are possible. The mount engagement surface may also beslightly angled relative to the wall surface when moving from left toright, or visa versa. The anchor assembly 700 can be used to mountvarious different components to a wall, with the mount wings 750 and 752providing structure that engages with a suitable structure on a mountbracket of the component.

By way of example, reference is made to the mount bracket 760 of FIGS. 7and 8 , which includes a base 762 with upwardly extending attachmentarms 764A, 764B having openings 766A, 766B through which a fastener canpass for attaching the mount bracket to a component to be supported onthe anchor assembly. One or both of the openings may be laterallyelongated (in this case just opening 766A). Mount wings 768A, 768Bextend rearwardly and inwardly from the arms 764A, 764B. The mount wingsinclude respective connecting parts 770A, 770B, major portions 772A,772B, minor portions 774A, 774B and upper stop tabs 776A, 776B. Sideguide arms 778A, 778B extend from respective ends of the base 762, andhave upwardly extending guide tabs 780A, 780B with bends to facilitateinstallation onto the anchor assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment the mount bracket is formed of monolithicmetal plate construction in which a flat metal plate is cut to a certainflat shape and then bent into the final shape of the bracket (e.g., byprogressive die stamping). However, it is recognized that other forms ofmount brackets are possible.

Reference is made to FIGS. 9-11 showing a mount bracket 760 positionedvertically above an anchor assembly 700 in position for downwardengagement onto the anchor assembly, where a lateral spacing between themount wings 768A and 768B and a lateral spacing between the anchorassembly wings 750 and 752 (not shown in FIGS. 9-11 ) is set to assurecontact of the major portions of the mount wings with the major portionsof the anchor assembly wings when the mount bracket 760 is moved downonto the anchor assembly. In addition, the side guide tabs 780A, 780B ofthe mount bracket will interact with the side tabs 740, 742 of theanchor assembly to move the mount bracket 760 laterally in the event ofan incorrect lateral alignment of the mount bracket 760 over the anchorassembly 700. The angles of the respective minor portions of the mountwings 768A, 768B and minor portions of the anchor assembly wings 750,752 provide a lead in feature to prevent jamming as the bracket 760moves down onto the anchor assembly 700. Moreover, the forward surfacesof the major portions of the mount wings 768A, 768B interact with therearward surfaces of the major portions of the anchor assembly wings750, 752 as the bracket 760 moves down in a manner that pulls thebracket toward the wall plane 782 (e.g., per surfaces 772A′ and surfaces754′ in FIG. 11 that will interact to pull the bracket 760 in thedirection of arrow 784 as the bracket 760 moves down. Once the stop tabson the mount bracket wings engage the top of the anchor assembly wings(e.g., per stop tab 776A moving down to engage top of wing 750 in FIG.11 ), further downward movement of the mount bracket is prevented andthe mount bracket is fully engaged with the anchor assembly.

In practice, the bracket 760 can be attached to any component to be hungon the wall-installed anchor assembly 700. By way of example, referenceis made to FIGS. 12-14 showing an exemplary floating shelf assemblyconfigured for support by a pair of spaced apart anchor assemblies. Theshelf 751 is of a floating shelf type which, when mounted, appears toproject out of the wall surface, and has no visible wall supports. Inthis regard, the back side 753 of the shelf includes a recessed area 755that is bounded on all sides, and that has spaced apart brackets 760mounted therein (e.g., by screws). Alternatively, the bracket structurecould, for example, be formed monolithically with the shelf (e.g., wherethe shelf is molded of plastic and the brackets molded of plastic) or,in another example, the shelf may be of molded plastic with brackets ofmetal being insert molded with the shelf. While two brackets are shown,components with only a single bracket and components with three or morebrackets are also contemplated.

In the case of the illustrated shelf 751, after two anchor assemblies700 have been properly positioned and installed in a wall, the shelf canbe mounted onto the anchor assemblies by aligning the shelf brackets 760above the anchor assemblies and then moving the shelf downward to engagethe brackets with the anchor assemblies. As previously described,interaction between the bracket wings and the anchor assembly wings willoperate to pull the rear side of the shelf unit 751 toward the wall soas to be flush with the wall. In this regard, in order to reduce oreliminate downward sag of the shelf as it protrudes off the wall(particularly the upper shelf surface), as shown in FIG. 13 the rearedges of the shelf may lie in a plane that is slightly offset fromvertical, or slightly offset from perpendicular to the upper surface(e.g., as suggested by angle Θ2 in the range of between about 0.5 and 3degrees, such as about 1.5 to 2.5 degrees). During the shelf mountprocess, as the shelf is moved downward onto the anchor assemblies, thewing surface interaction will tend to cause the upper end of the shelfto pivot about the lower end of the shelf toward the wall.

Moreover, as the rear surface of the shelf unit 751 engages with thewall surface during install, a preloading occurs as a result of theinteraction of the anchor wings and shelf wings that tends to pull theshelf against the wall with a preload normal force (e.g., in the rangeof 5 to 15 pounds normal to the wall, such 8 to 12 pounds, though othervariations are possible). This preload force acts to limit shelfdeflection due to application loading until the loading generates forcesequal to the preload. The wings of the mount brackets and anchorassemblies can also be configured to permit some flexing or elasticdeflection away from respective normal positions under load, which actsto allow installation of the shelf to the anchor with reduced frictionwith the wall and to absorb minor application load impulse forces.

In terms of proper positioning of the anchor assemblies onto the wall,as seen in FIGS. 15 and 16 , a template system would be particularlyuseful for installations that require more than one anchor assembly(e.g., where the secondary component mounts to more than one anchorassembly as in the case of above-described shelf shelf 751). Anexemplary template 761 is shown and includes spaced apart anchorreceiving zones 763 defined by slots or other openings 765. One anchorassembly 700 is shown installed in FIG. 15 , while one anchor receivingzone 763 is empty. The slots 765 are spaced in such a manner as toenable the free ends of the anchor assembly retainers to be positionedtherein when the anchor assembly 700 is opened to its non-anchoringorientation prior to install. The template 761 may include an adhesivefeature at its wall facing side (e.g., one or more adhesive areascovered by a tape that is removed so that the template 761 can betemporarily applied to the wall). The adhesive is sufficient to hold thetemplate 761 on the wall 30, while at the same time facilitatingrelatively easy removal of the template 761 from the wall (e.g., ifdesired for repositioning). In exemplary cases the template would remainon the wall once the anchor assemblies are installed. As shown, thetemplate 761 could incorporate an integrated level element 767 (e.g., abubble level) so that when the template 761 is placed on the wall a usercan assure that the slots 765 are positioned in a manner that willenable mounting of anchor assemblies at the same height, resulting in acorresponding level mount of whatever component (e.g., shelf or speaker)will thereafter be mounted onto the installed anchor assemblies 700.

Generally, the spacing between the mount zones 763 would match thespacing between the mount bracket structure at the back of the componentto be installed on the wall. While only two zones 763 are shown, morezones could be provided if the component to be mounted is configured formounting to a greater number of anchor assemblies. The template may beformed of any suitable die-cut material such as paper, cardboard orplastic sheet.

It is recognized that other mount bracket configurations could also beused in conjunction with the anchor assemblies 700. As another example,reference is made to FIGS. 17 and 18 where another mount bracket 721 isshown. Mount bracket 721 includes an upper base 723 with end portionsthat act as stop tabs to engage the tops of mount wings on the anchorassembly. Mount wings 725A, 725B extend downwardly from the rear edge ofthe base 723. The mount wings include respective connecting parts 727A,727B, major portions 729A, 729B and minor portions 731A, 731B. The majorportions, minor portions and stop tabs of mount anchor 721 will functionsimilar to those of mount anchor 760 when mount anchor 731 is engagedwith an anchor assembly (but without minimal or no flexing—thoughdesigns can be contemplated where flexing is beneficial). Attachmentarms 733A, 733B also connect to the wings and have openings 735A, 735Bthrough which a fastener can pass for attaching the mount bracket 721 toa component to be supported on the anchor assembly. One or both of theopenings may be laterally elongated (in this case just opening 735B). Byway of example of a component utilizing the bracket 721, FIG. 19 showsan exemplary hook rail 741 with a base 743 having a recess 745 at itsback side and three spaced apart mount brackets 721 secured within therecess 745. The alternative mount bracket 721 as particularly useful inconnection with components where the recess in the component mustnecessarily be shallow.

While the above illustrated embodiments contemplate components that aremounted to laterally spaced apart anchor assemblies that are at the sameheight, it is recognized that the height of all anchor assemblies neednot be the same and that in some cases the anchor assemblies could bespaced apart vertically one above the other. It is also recognized thatother anchor assembly configurations and associated mount bracketconfigurations are possible.

Referring to FIGS. 20-25 , an anchor assembly 10 is shown. The anchorassembly 10 includes a base member 12 including a wall facing side 14,outer side 16, lateral sides 18 and 20 and opposite ends 22 and 24.Lateral sides 18 and 20 extend from the wall facing side 14 to the outerside 16. The ends 22 and 24 are distal portions in a lengthwise (longer)direction or axis 26 of the base member.

The wall facing side 14 includes a base surface 29 for seating against awall 30. In the illustrated example the base surface is a single planarsurface, but it is recognized that variations are possible, such as thebase surface being made up of multiple discreet surfaces that togetherlie in a common plane. The outer side 16 of the base member includesanchor support surfaces 32 and 34 that are angled relative to eachother. In the illustrated embodiment the surfaces 32 and 34 convergetoward each other as they move from respective ends 22 and 24 toward amid-section of the base member, converging at an apex line 36. Bothanchor support surfaces 32, 34 are nonparallel with the base surface 29,with the outer end 38, 40 of each anchor support surface positionedcloser to the base surface 29 than the inner end 42, 44 of the anchorsupport surface. The anchor support surfaces 32 and 34 are substantiallyplanar in this embodiment, but other variations are possible. It iscontemplated that the base member 12 may be formed of a plastic or otherpolymeric material, but base members of metal or other materials arealso possible.

Anchor components 50 and 52 are positioned on the base member 12. Eachanchor component 50, 52 has a respective pivot end 54, 56 and arespective retainer end 58, 60. Anchor component 50 is pivotablerelative to the base member 12 between a forward position (FIGS. 20 and24 ) in which the retainer end 58 is spaced away from the anchor supportsurface 32 and an install position (FIG. 25 ) in which the retainer end58 is positioned toward the anchor support surface 32. Likewise, anchorcomponent 52 is pivotable relative to the base member 12 between aforward position (FIGS. 20 and 24 ) in which the retainer end 60 isspaced away from the anchor support surface 34 and an install position(FIG. 25 ) in which the retainer end 60 is positioned toward the anchorsupport surface 34. In the illustrated install position of each anchorcomponent, a back side of the anchor seats against its adjacent anchorsupport surface.

The retainer end 58 includes curved wall penetrating retainers 62, 64extending rearwardly such that when the anchor component 50 is in theforward position the curved wall penetrating retainers extend toward butnot beyond the base surface 29 and when the anchor component is in theinstall position the curved wall penetrating retainers 62, 64 extendbeyond the base surface to enable wall penetration. Likewise, theretainer end 60 includes curved wall penetrating retainers 66, 68 thatextend rearwardly such that when the anchor component 52 is in theforward position the curved wall penetrating retainers extend toward butnot beyond the base surface 29 and when the anchor component is in theinstall position the curved wall penetrating retainers 66, 68 extendbeyond the base surface to enable wall penetration.

The wall penetrating retainers 62, 64, 66 and 68 have a primarily curvedconfiguration, with the retainer portions that penetrate the wall beingof an arcuate configuration. The radius of curvature (e.g., R62 and R66)defined by the arcuate portions of the wall penetrating retainers have acenter point that is proximate to the axial pivot point line or axis 70of each anchor component 50, 52. In this regard, in the illustratedembodiment each anchor component 50, 52 is pivotally connected to of thebase member via end portions of a hinge pin or pivot pin 72 passingthrough the base member, and thus the center of the radius of curvatureof each wall penetrating retainer are colinear, but other variations arepossible. This geometry minimizes the energy and force required toinsert each set of retainers, minimizes damage to the wall and resultsin small wall surface perforations when the anchor is removed.

For the purpose of wall installation, while the anchor components 50, 52are in their forward position the base member is held against thesurface of the wall (per FIG. 24 ) and then the outer end of each anchorcomponent is pressed toward the wall (per arrows 74 and 76) to rotatethe retainers into the wall (per FIG. 25 ). The two anchor componentsmay be pressed toward the wall in a staged operation (e.g., one at atime). This two stage method of retainer penetration results in ananchor with a suitable number of retainers to hold larger weightswithout requiring excessive force to move the retainers into the wall.The final install position results in a jaw-type gripping action of theanchor assembly into the wall. The gripping action supports high hangingloads and loads with a moment component, such as a shelf loads, towelbars, coatracks etc. that can be supported on the anchor assembly.

In the illustrated embodiment, each anchor component 50, 52 includes aprimary plate element 80 and 82 (e.g., generally rectangular in shape)and lateral plate elements 84, 86 and 88, 90 (e.g., generally triangularin shape) extending from the primary plate element toward the wallfacing side of the base member 12. Each curved wall penetrating retainerextends from a respective one of the lateral plate elements. The anchorcomponents may thus be formed from a metal plate material, and beunitary or monolithic in construction. However, other variations arepossible. The lateral plate elements of each anchor component extend atleast partially over the lateral sides of the base member 12 when eachanchor component is in the install position.

In the illustrated embodiment, the two anchor components 50 and 52 areof identical shape and size. The inner end 54 of anchor component 50 andthe inner end 56 of anchor component 52 partially overlap, including inthe region of the lateral plate elements. The inner end of the twoanchor components are laterally offset from each other along the pivotaxis to enable the overlap by having adjacent lateral plate elements ofthe two anchor components slide over each other or move in closeproximity to each other as the anchor components are pivoted.

In some embodiments wall facing edges of the lateral plate elements mayengage a rim portion of the base member, or may engage the wall, whenthe anchor components are in the install position. In the regard, in theillustrated embodiment the lateral side 18 of base member 12 includes athrough opening 100 along a rim that passes to the wall facing side forretainer passage and a slot 102 for retainer passage. Likewise, thelateral side 20 of the base member 12 includes a through opening 104along the rim that passes to the wall facing side for retainer passageand a slot 106 for retainer passage. The through openings are locatedtoward opposite ends of the base member and the slots are locatedtowards opposite ends of the base member, such that the through openingsand the slots are diagonally offset from each other. These openings maybe used to facilitate the incorporation of transition fillets from theanchor plate portions to the elongate retainer body. Embodiments inwhich the base member is sized to enable retainer passage withoutincorporation of through openings and/or slots are also contemplated.

The retainers of the illustrated embodiment have a primarily rectangularcross-section for cross-sections taken normal to a curved lengthwiseaxis of the retainer. In some implementations where the rectangularcross-section is non-square, a longer dimension of the cross-section ofall retainers may all run in similar orientations (e.g., all generallyparallel to the lengthwise axis 26 when the cross-section is taken nearthe point of departure from the plate portion of the anchor component,or all generally perpendicular to the lengthwise axis 26 when thecross-section is taken near the point of departure from the plateportion of the anchor component). In other implementations theorientation of the longer dimension may vary as between retainers on thesame anchor component or as between retainers on one anchor componentand retainers on the other anchor component.

The anchor assembly 10 can advantageously be used to mount variousdifferent components to a wall. In this regard, the illustrated basemember 12 includes an opening 110 in lateral side 18 that extends towardthe lateral side 20. The opening 110 may extend through the base memberall the way to and through the second lateral side. Each lateral plateelement includes a respective opening (e.g., per openings 112 and 114).The lateral plate elements at each lateral side of the base memberoverlap when the anchor components are in the install position, and theopenings in the lateral plate elements align with each other and thebase member opening 110.

Referring now to FIGS. 26-32 , an exemplary floating shelf assemblyconfigured for support by a pair of spaced apart anchor assemblies 10 isshown. The shelf 120 is of a floating shelf type which, when mounted,appears to project out of the wall surface, and has no visible wallsupports. In this regard, the back side 122 of the shelf includes arecessed area 125 that is bounded on all sides, and that has spacedapart brackets 124 mounted therein (e.g., by screws passing through anupright plate portion 126). Alternatively, the bracket structure could,for example, be formed monolithically with the shelf (e.g., where theshelf is molded of plastic and the brackets molded of plastic) or, inanother example, the shelf may be of molded plastic with brackets ofmetal insert molded with the shelf. For stability purposes an upperledge portion 128 of each bracket may be in contact with the uppersurface 130 of the recessed area. Each bracket includes a downwardlyextending mount finger 132 that engages with a respective anchorassembly 10, as best seen in FIG. 30 where the wall in which the anchorassemblies 10 would be mounted is not shown. In this regard, for thepurpose of the shelf mounting it is contemplated that each anchorassembly is mounted horizontally in the wall such that the curvature ofthe retainers extends horizontally rather than vertically. As shown inFIG. 30 where the base member of the anchor assembly is not shown, thedownwardly extending bracket finger 132 extends through the alignedopenings 112, 114 of the two anchor components, and likewise into thealigned base member opening (not shown), providing the vertical supportneeded for the shelf unit 120.

The illustrated openings 110, 112 and 114 are of rectangularconfiguration, and the bracket mount finger 132 that sits within thealigned openings for purpose of shelf mounting is oriented with arelatively narrow lateral width W132 as compared to the lateral width(e.g., W112) of the openings 110, 112, and 114. This configurationprovides for suitable lateral tolerance in the position of the spacedapart shelf brackets 124 relative to the spaced apart anchor assemblies(e.g., the bracket mount fingers need not be perfectly centered on theanchor assembly openings to engage the shelf onto the wall mountedanchor assemblies). However, in other embodiments the shelf bracketfingers and anchor assemblies could be cooperatively configured toprovide for a tighter lateral fit if desired.

As seen in FIG. 32 , the bracket fingers 132 may have a depthwisedimension that increases when moving upward from the bottom of thefinger 132. In one arrangement the plane in which the forward edge 136of the finger lies is angularly offset from the plane in which the rearedge 134 of the finger lies (e.g., by an angle Θ1 in the range ofbetween about 1 and 4 degrees, such as about 2 to 3 degrees). Here theplane of rear edge 134 is parallel configured to be parallel with thewall surface upon mount. Thus, the forward edge 134 is angularly offsetfrom the wall surface during install, and the interaction between theforward edge of the finger 132 and the forward edge of any one or moreof the aligned openings of the anchor assembly as the finger 132 movesfarther down into the openings may operate to pull the rear side of theshelf unit 120 toward the wall so as to be flush with the wall. In thisregard, in order to reduce or eliminate downward sag of the shelf as itprotrudes off the wall (particularly the upper shelf surface), the rearedges of the shelf may lie in a plane that is slightly offset fromvertical, similar to as described above for shelf unit 751. In suchcases, during the shelf mount process, as the shelf is moved downwardonto the anchor assemblies, the combination of the finger engagementwith the aligned anchor assembly openings and the angled orientation ofthe rear shelf rear edges will tend to cause the upper end of the shelfto pivot about the lower end of the shelf toward the wall.

While the use of two brackets and two anchor assemblies is shown, it isrecognized that in some implementations a shelf may be mounted on asingle anchor assembly, and in other implementations three or morespaced apart anchor assemblies may be used. Likewise, the configurationof the inter-engaging structure as between the shelf and the anchorassembly could vary widely. For example, while rectangular alignedopenings 110, 112 and 114 are shown, the shape of the openings couldvary, as could the shape of the fingers. In addition, the anchorassembly could include a finger or other upward projection and the shelfbrackets an opening or cavity to receive such projection. One or both ofthe brackets could be loosely mounted to the shelf to permit somelateral play of the bracket to facilitate alignment with the engagingfeature on the anchor assembly.

As another variation, the base member could also be formed with sideflanges 180 that are offset from the wall 30 per FIGS. 52 and 53 . Thisflange position and orientation may be readily achieved by molding orcasting, but could also be achieved by suitable bends in a platestructure. As best seen in FIG. 53 , the flanges 180 are angled slightlyrearward when moving in a vertically downward direction (represented byacute non-zero angle Θ3) such that a spacing S1 of the upper end of theflanges 180 to the back part of the base member that abuts the wallafter install is greater than a spacing S2 of the lower end of theflanges to the back part of the of the base member that abuts the wallafter install. These flanges may be used to mount a separate component,such as a hook, floating shelf or other structure onto the anchorassembly in a manner such that, if a lock in the pivot or hinge axis isprovided, corresponding flanges on the component interact with theflanges 180 to pull the component toward the wall 30.

More than one opening in the base member could be provided forengagement with a shelf finger as suggested by the spaced apart openings140 of FIG. 21 shown in dashed line form, and in such cases the anchorcomponents would include openings to align with openings 140. Having thetwo shelf fingers engage the openings 140 aids by inhibiting rotation ofthe anchor assembly relative to the shelf (e.g., about a vertical axiswhen the anchor assembly is installed horizontally as described above).However, other mechanisms could be used to prevent such relativerotation of the anchor assembly. For example, as shown schematically inFIG. 51 , where partial top plan view a mounted shelf unit 120 is shown,and shelf components within the recess 125 at the back of the shelf areshown in dashed line form, in addition to the mounting bracket withfinger 132, space apart bracket elements or other structures 170, 172could be located to engage with the anchor components in a manner toprevent or inhibit such relative rotation of the anchor assembly whenthe shelf unit undergoes loading.

Referring now to FIGS. 33-39 another embodiment of an anchor assembly210 is shown (where like numerals show portions similar to theembodiment of FIG. 20 above). The anchor assembly includes anchorcomponents 50 and 52 of similar shape and configuration to the anchorcomponents of anchor assembly 10 shown and described above and thereforelike reference numbers are utilized for the various portions of theanchor components and the pivot or hinge pin 72 the connects the anchorcomponents to the base member 212. The anchor assembly utilizes a basemember 212 including a wall facing side 214, outer side 216, lateralsides 218 and 220 and opposite ends 222 and 224. Lateral sides 218 and220 extend from the wall facing side 214 to the outer side 216. The ends222 and 224 are distal portions in a lengthwise (longer) direction oraxis of the base member. In this embodiment it is contemplated that thebase member 212 is formed of a bent metal plate structure (or die castmetal structure), although in some cases some or all of the base member212 could be of plastic or other polymer.

As best seen in FIGS. 33 and 35 , the wall facing side 214 includes abase surface 230 for seating against a wall 30, in this case comprisedof two discrete planar surfaces 230A and 230B. The outer side 216 of thebase member includes anchor support surfaces 232 and 234 that are angledrelative to each other, with such surfaces comprised of edges 232A, 232b and edges 234A, 234B respectively. In the illustrated embodiment thesurfaces 232 and 234 converge toward each other as they move fromrespective ends 222 and 224 toward a mid-section of the base member,converging at apex regions 236A and 236B. Both anchor support surfaces232, 234 are nonparallel with the base surface 230, with the outer end238, 240 of each anchor support surface positioned closer to the basesurface 230 than the inner end 242, 244 of the anchor support surface.

Notably, the lateral side 218 of the base member 212 includes a set ofcurved wall penetrating retainers 250 and 252. The base member retainers250, 252 curve in a direction that is substantially perpendicular to thecurvature direction of the anchor retainers. Referring to FIG. 36 , forthe purpose of wall installation, while the anchor components 50, 52 arein their forward position the base member 212 is held against thesurface of the wall in angled manner and then pressure applied (e.g.,per arrow 254) to rotated the lateral side 218, which is shown as theupper lateral side, toward the wall and move the retainers 250, 252 intothe wall. In this case, the radius of curvature of the base retainers(e.g., R252) may be at the lower corner or edge of the wall facing basesurface 228 or at the edge of the lateral plate element 90 for mostefficient and effective rotational install. Similar to FIGS. 24 and 25above, each anchor component is then pressed toward the wall (per arrows74 and 76 of FIG. 38 ) to rotate the anchor retainers into the wall (perFIG. 39 ). The two anchor components may be pressed toward the wall in astaged operation (e.g., one at a time). Again, this two stage method ofretainer penetration results in an anchor with a suitable number ofretainers to hold larger weights without requiring excessive force tomove the retainers into the wall. The final install position results ina jaw-type gripping action of the anchor assembly into the wall.Moreover, other advantages are achieved by incorporating the downwardlycurved retainers 250, 252 on the base member 212, such as increasing thevertical retention force and increasing the normal retention force.Alternatively, the retainers could curve upward within the wall.

In the anchor assembly 210 the aligned openings 112, 114 of the anchorsmay be used to engage with retaining fingers or other structure onshelves or other components to be mounted in a similar manner asdescribed above with respect to FIGS. 26-32 . Notably, as best seen inFIG. 35 , the base member 212 includes an opening 260 in lateral side218, which opening aligns with openings 112 and 114 when the anchorassembly is installed. Unlike opening 110 in base member 12 of FIG. 21 ,opening 260 is not closed at the wall facing side. It is recognizedthat, depending upon the relative size/position of the various openings112, 114 and 260, a shelf finger (e.g., per finger 132) could interactwith any of the openings to pull the rear side of the shelf unit 120toward the wall as the shelf unit is mounted to the anchor assembly.

Referring to FIGS. 40-42 , a third embodiment of an anchor assembly 310is shown, which also incorporates anchor components 50 and 52 similar toanchor assemblies 10 and 210 and therefore includes some similarnumbering of portions. The base member 312 of anchor assembly 310 issimilar to the base member 212, and base member 312 functions in muchthe same way. However, in the case of base member 312 base surfaceextensions 370 and 372 have been incorporated. These extensions 370, 372provide a lower pivot point for initial rotation of the base member 312into the wall, and thus the radius of curvature of the base retainers350 and 352 (e.g., per R352 in FIG. 42 ) is larger than that ofretainers 250 and 252 (all else being equal), which makes it easier toinstall base member. Moreover, providing more height between the baseretainers and the lower edge of the anchor component improves overallperformance of the anchor assembly by increasing the ability of theanchor assembly to withstand more moment load, such as from a shelf thatmay be mounted on the anchor assembly.

While the anchor assemblies described above all include two distinctanchor components on a base member, other variations are possible. Forexample, referring to the anchor assembly 410 of FIGS. 43-47 , the basemember 412 includes anchor components 420 and 422 that are formed as aunitary piece 424 (e.g., of metal plate material). The metal plate canbe bent for purposes of installation so as to effectively wrap the pieceover the base member anchor support surfaces. The pivot end of eachanchor component 420, 422 is thus located in a central portion along thelength of the piece 424. In the illustrated embodiment the centralportion of piece 242 includes a pair of openings 426 and 428 and theouter side of the base member includes projections 430 and 432configured to interact with those opening to help assure properpositioning of the anchor components 420 and 422 on the base. Moreover,further openings 434 and 436 may be located toward the retainer ends ofthe anchor components for alignment and positioning over protrudingbuttons 438 and 440 on the outer side of the base member. In such anembodiment the center of the radius of curvature of the anchor retainers(e.g., retainers 450, 452) may be near the central portion of the piece424 (e.g., per R450 and R452). In some case the centers may becoincident and in the very middle of the central portion.

As mentioned above, the anchor assemblies of the present application canbe used to mount a variety of components to walls. In the case of anchorassembly 410, the base member 412 is configured with a lateral side tolateral side through opening 441 that is sized and configured to mount atubular member 442, such as electrical conduit, water pipe or wire formstructure, to the wall 30. In this case the tubular member is round, butother shape tubes could be accommodated as well. In this regard, theillustrated opening 441 includes opposed ribs 444, 446 that extend alongthe opening, were a distance DR between the ribs is sized to enable thebase member to be releasably clipped over a tubular member so that theribs hold the base member onto the tube, but allow for rotation of thebase member relative to, and sliding movement of the base member alongthe tube 442, so as to attain the desired position for the anchorassembly before the anchor retainers are pressed into the wall.

In some cases, it may be possible to eliminate the base member of ananchor assembly. For example, referring to the anchor assembly 510 ofFIGS. 48 and 49 , the base member is eliminated and a unitary elongateplate member 514 with anchor components 516 and 518 interconnected by acentral tubular portion 524 is provided. The tubular portion 524 maydefine an opening that includes inwardly extending ribs or tabs 526 and528 shaped and configured to enable the anchor assembly to be clippedonto a tubular member 530. Each anchor component may be in a forwardposition (e.g., represented by anchor component position 516′ in FIG. 49) when the anchor assembly is initially clipped to the tubular member530. Once the anchor assembly is in the desired position along thetubular member, each anchor component may be pressed toward the wall torotate the anchor retainers into the wall. Such manipulation of theanchor component for wall attachment necessarily involves some bendingof the plate member of the illustrated embodiment, particularly alonglocations 532 and 534 where the anchor components join the tubularportion 524. In this case the radius of curvature of the anchorretainers (e.g., 540 and 542) may be substantially centered at theprimary bend location (e.g., as represented by R542). In an arrangementsuch as that depicted in FIGS. 48 and 49 , it may be said that thetubular member itself acts as the base for the anchor assembly 510.

Referring now to FIGS. 50A and 50B, another embodiment of an anchorassembly 610 including a base member 612 and separate anchor components650, 652 is shown. In the illustrated anchor assembly, each anchorcomponent 650 and 652 is independently associated with the base member612 in that the anchor components do not overlap and do not share acommon hinge pin. Instead, the central portion of the base memberincludes a pivot base 614 having a laterally extending slot 616, 618 oneach side for receiving the pivot end of the respective anchor component650, 652. In this embodiment the anchor components 650, 652 may beretained against the base member by the slots once the anchor componentsare moved to the install position, but may otherwise be removable. Asanother possibility, the pivot ends of the anchor components and therespective slots may include mating features (e.g., a hook and tabarrangement) to retain the anchor components on the base member. Theradius of curvature of the anchor retainers (e.g., 662 and 666) may besubstantially centered in the respective slot 616 or 618 (e.g., asrepresented by R662). In one example, the opening 670 in the base could,for example, be sized to fit over a wire form member, such as a wireform extending along the back edge of a wire form shelf, therebyenabling direct mounting of a wire form shelf to a wall.

One common and beneficial feature of each of the foregoing anchorembodiments is that the center of the radius of curvature of the anchorretainers of both anchor components, also the pivot point of both anchorcomponents, is offset from the wall surface and, in embodiments thatinclude a base member, the base surface. This offset increases the angleof attack of the retainer into the wall. The angle of attack of a givenretainer can be defined as the angle between a line or plane runningfrom the point of retainer entry into the wall to the pivot axis aboutwhich the retainer moves and a line or plane normal to the wall surface.Referring to FIGS. 55A-55D, various anchor assembly configurations areshown with anchor components in installed positions within the wall. Theanchor assemblies include respective points of retainer entry 800A-800D,respective retainers 802A-802D, respective pivot axes 804A-804D,respective normal lines 806A-806D and respective angles of attack αA-αDfor one anchor component 808A-808D of the illustrated anchor assembly810A-810D. It is recognized that the other anchor component of eachanchor assembly includes a similarly defined angle of attack.

As suggested by the schematic depictions, as the pivot point of ananchor retainer moves outward away from the wall surface, the angle ofattack increases and the amount of wall material encompassed by theretainer to resist pull-out of the retainer perpendicular to the wallsurface (as represented by triangular areas 812A-812D) increases.Likewise, the anchor retention capability under cantilever loads (suchas from a shelf supported on the anchor assembly) also increase. Themost critical feature regard to these advantages is the increase in thelinear extent to which the curved retainer lies behind the wallboardsurface, as reflected in each case by line 814A-814D (e.g., basicallythe linear projection of the retainer in the wall surface plane). In theillustrated case, retainer 802A is shorter than retainer 802B, which inturn is shorter than retainer 802C, which in turn is shorter thanretainer 802D, with all retainers approaching, but not passing throughthe backside of the wallboard, as is preferred. However, even in thecase where the retainers 802B-802D were all the same length as retainer802A, the retainers 802B-802D would progressively encompass morewallboard material.

Generally, it has been discovered that although more wall material canbe encompassed by the retainers using a more aggressive angle ofretainer attack, the force required for anchor component insertion alsoincreases. It has been determined that a desirable range for balancingthese two characteristics is to provide an angle of attack in the rangeof between about fifty-five degrees and about eighty degrees, such asabout sixty degrees to about seventy-five degrees. However, othervariations in the angle of attack are contemplated.

Notably, this angle of attack advantage can be achieved in both anchorassembly embodiments including a base member and anchor assemblyembodiments that do not include a base member. In this regard, FIGS.54A-54C depict another anchor assembly 900 that does not make use of abase. Instead, each anchor 902, 904 includes respective side plates orwings 906, 908 that extend from the sides of the base plate 910, 912.The wings are interconnected by a hinge pin 914 such that the two anchorcomponents pivot around the hinge pin. The respective anchor retainers916, 918 have a radius center of curvature R916, R918 substantiallyaligned with the hinge pin axis. Notably, the wings include respectiveedge configurations 930, 932 such that, when the anchor assembly is inthe full install position the edge configurations will together form anopening that can receive a mount structure of a component to be mountedto a wall (e.g., such as shelf mount finger 132 described above). Onebenefit of the anchor assembly 900 is that, upon install of the anchorinto a wall, the distance that the anchor protrudes from the wall isrelatively small in all locations except the mid-section where the wingsand hinge pin are located.

As best seen in FIGS. 54D and 54E, where a single anchor component ofthe assembly is shown, the pivot end of each anchor component alsoincludes a set of stabilizing legs 920, 922 having tips that curveoutward away from the wall facing side of the anchor assembly. Thestabilizing legs 920, 922 may be included to provide some support of theanchor assembly when it is placed against a wall and during rotation ofthe anchor components to achieve the install position with retainersengaged in the wall. Arcuate portions 924, 926 of the legs allow thelegs to more readily slide relative to the wall during anchor componentinstallation.

FIGS. 56A and 56B depict yet another variation of an anchor assembly 950that includes a base member 952 and two anchor components 954, 956pivotably associated with the base member.

In any of the foregoing anchor assembly embodiments, the wallpenetrating retainers can also be configured with other advantageousfeatures.

For example, to facilitate manual wallboard penetration and passagewithout tools, utilizing thumb or palm force only, the wallboardpenetrating retainers may be formed with a relatively smooth externalsurface finish (e.g., achieved by polishing, painting, plating or othercoating). In this regard, the surface of the wallboard penetratingretainers can be manufactured with or modified to a maximum averagesurface roughness of about 20 μinch (e.g., in some cases a maximumaverage surface roughness of about 15 μinch). In one implementation,just the end portion of the wallboard penetrating retainers are worked,processed or otherwise formed to achieve this desired low surfaceroughness feature in order to reduce manufacturing cost. The latterimplementation would reduce install force but maintain friction on therougher portions of the penetrating retainer to resist removal forces.The retainers may have a polished surface finish and/or a plated surfacefinish and/or a painted finish and/or a lubricant (e.g., Teflon)incorporated into the surface finish.

The wallboard penetrating retainers may also be configured such that thedistal end of each wallboard penetrating retainer is shaped to provide apoint. Proper sizing of the wallboard penetrating retainer(s) can alsobe used to achieve more user friendly performance of an anchor. Inparticular, in some implementations when the anchor assembly isinstalled at the front surface of the wallboard, the distal ends of thewallboard penetrating retainers may be positioned proximate to the rearsurface of the wall without penetrating the paper layer at the rearsurface. The cross-sectional sized of the retainers can be selected assuitable for manual installation.

The anchor assemblies can generally be installed without the use oftools (e.g., by user thumb force to rotate the anchor component) andprovide a very beneficial load support capability once installed.Moreover, upon removal of the anchor from the wall the size of thehole(s) that are left for repair will be small, which (i) makes itsimpler for the novice homeowner to make a clean wall repair with aslittle as just paint fill and (ii) more readily allows for slightrepositioning of the anchor (e.g., in close proximity to the existingholes) if needed.

It is to be clearly understood that the above description is intended byway of illustration and example only, is not intended to be taken by wayof limitation, and that other changes and modifications are possible.For example, the anchor components could be formed with snap in placeretainers (e.g., wire form retainers that snap into place on metal orplastic plate) or the anchor components could be produced using anovermold process (e.g., an overmold to connect retainers to a plasticplate or an overmold of the metal plate and retainer combination).

What is claimed is:
 1. An anchor component, comprising: a base includinga front side, a back side, a first side, a second side, a pivot end anda retainer end, the retainer end opposite the pivot end, the first sideand the second side running between the retainer end and the pivot end,the second side opposite the first side; at least first and second wallpenetrating retainers located toward the retainer end and spaced apartfrom each other with the first wall penetrating retainer at the firstside and the second wall penetrating retainer at the second side, thefirst wall penetrating retainer including a first wall penetratingextent that protrudes rearwardly of the back side of the base and has acurved configuration, the second wall penetrating retainer including asecond wall penetrating extent that protrudes rearwardly of the backside of the base and has a curved configuration, wherein the curvedconfiguration of the first wall penetrating extent curves toward thepivot end, wherein the curved configuration of the second wallpenetrating extent curves toward the pivot end; wherein the base, thefirst wall penetrating retainer and the second wall penetrating retainerare of monolithic configuration formed of a plate material that definesa plate thickness, wherein the plate material is bent so as to positionthe first and second wall penetrating retainers such that the first wallpenetrating extent and the second wall penetrating extent protruderearwardly, with the plate thickness, along the first wall penetratingextent and the second wall penetrating extent, running in a directionthat extends from the first side toward the second side; wherein thefirst wall penetrating extent and the second wall penetrating extenteach have a length, a first curved surface portion facing toward thepivot end and a second curved surface portion facing away from the pivotend, wherein a dimension between the first curved surface portion andthe second curved surface portion is constant along a majority of thelength; wherein the retainer end includes a tab portion that extends ina forward direction; wherein a mount structure is spaced from the tabportion and extends in the forward direction; wherein the tab portionand the mount structure are formed by respective bent portions of theplate material.
 2. An anchor assembly comprising the anchor component ofclaim 1 as a first anchor component, wherein the anchor assembly furthercomprises a second anchor component pivotably connected to the firstanchor component.
 3. The anchor assembly of claim 2, wherein the secondanchor component includes a second base and a third wall penetratingretainer having a third wall penetrating extent, wherein the second baseand the third wall penetrating retainer are of monolithic configurationformed of a plate material that defines a second plate thickness,wherein the second plate material is bent so as to position the thirdwall penetrating retainer such that the third wall penetrating extentprotrudes in a rearward direction from the second base, with the secondplate thickness, along the third wall penetrating extent, running in adirection that extends from a first side toward a second side of thesecond base, wherein the first and second sides extend in a directionthat runs from a pivot end toward a retainer end of the second base.